STERLING SERVICE

The Gazette betrays a lack of understanding of the issues by confusing the Public Defender Service (PDS) and the Criminal Defence Service (CDS), and couples this with a quote from Franklin Sinclair accusing us and our colleagues of a lack of motivation brought about by a civil service mentality (see [2001] Gazette, 4 October, 1).We do not believe it appropriate for members of the profession to use the Gazette as a public forum for this kind of unsubstantiated slur.

Such an approach does nothing to enhance the reputation of the profession generally or the confidence of the public in it.Suffice to say that we, and our staff, are a dedicated and committed team of professionals with the sole professional duty of looking after our clients, representing them fearlessly and vigorously, and providing them with a high-quality service.

In this we have the full support of the Legal Services Commission and all its senior management.

Our technical status as members of the PDS has no effect on our approach.

All the solicitors and representatives in the service have come from private practice, and our approach to our clients has not changed.

Indeed, that is why many of them have continued to instruct and place their trust in us.Lee Preston, head of Birmingham PDS; Richard Whitehead, head of Liverpool PDS; Nick Darwin, head of Middlesbrough PDS; Romano Ferrari, head of Swansea PDS